Rabbi L. Scheinbaum

וביום השמיני ימול בשר ערלתו

On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (12:3)

Interestingly, the opening lines of Parshas Tazria relate to the Bris Milah that is to take place on a boy’s eighth day of life. This is juxtaposed upon the previous parsha, Shemini, which concludes with the words, “to distinguish between the contaminated and the pure.” The exhortation makes it incumbent upon us to learn how to distinguish between things that appear to be similar, such as between purity and the contamination. Horav Yehonasan Eibeshutz, zl, explains that specifically the mitzvah of Milah distinguishes between tamei, ritually impure, and tahar, ritually pure, and between the members of the gentile nations and…

Home -> 5773 -> Shoftim

ועשיתם לו כאשר זמם לעשות לאחיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shoftim, 5773

And you shall do to him as he planned to do to his brother. (19:19)

In the beginning of Meseches Makkos, the Mishnah asks the question: “In what manner do witnesses become zomeimim?” Hazamah is the process by which witnesses are proven false by testimony that places them elsewhere at the time that the alleged incident took place. The penalty for hazamah is reciprocal punishment, meaning the punishment the false witnesses sought to impose on the dependent by their testimony is meted out to them, be it monetary payment or corporal punishment. This is the meaning of, V’asisem lo kaasher zomam laasos l’achiv, which is the Scriptural reference to the reciprocal penalty incurred by those…

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על פי התורה אשר יורוך... תעשה לא תסור מן הדבר אשר יגידו לך ימין ושמאל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shoftim, 5773

According to the teaching that they will teach you… shall you do; you shall not deviate from the word that they will tell you, right or left. (17:11)

One must obey the decision of the court even if he is convinced that the court has erred in its ruling. Even if the ruling seems to be saying that right is left and left is right – you must obey. It goes without saying that, if one is certain that the court has ruled correctly, he must obey its decision. The law is timeless. We must listen to daas Torah, the wisdom of the Torah as interpreted and expounded by our Torah leaders. The Sefer HaChinuch comments: “In every generation, we must listen to the rulings of the wise…

Home -> 5773 -> Shoftim

כי ימצא בקרבך... אשר יעשה את הרע... וילך ויעבד אלהים אחרים...והוגד לך ושמעת ודרשת היטב והנה אמת הדבר נעשתה התועבה הזאת בישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shoftim, 5773

If this will be found among you… who commits evil… and he will go and serve gods of others… and it will be told to you and you will hear; then you will investigate well, and behold! It is true, the testimony is correct – this abomination was done in Yisrael. (17:2,4)

The Torah seems to employ a lengthy vernacular in order to describe this idol worshipper. The words, ki yimatzei, “If there will be found,” is an unusual phrase to describe the discovery of one who worships idols. It could simply have said, “If there will be among you.” “Finding” focuses on the detection of something unknown, whereas this case is one in which witnesses attest to a man’s guilt. It is a fait accompli – a done deal; it happened; now we must punish the sinner. Why does the Torah emphasize the next step in the process of establishing guilt:…

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ולא תקים לך מצבה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shoftim, 5773

And you shall not erect for yourselves a pillar. (16:22)

The Torah addresses various forms of idolatrous worship which were common practice among the pagans. Horav Levi Yitzchak Berditchev, zl, interprets the pasuk homiletically, adding a practical twist. Chazal teach that This World, Olam Hazeh, is compared to a vestibule before Olam Habba, the World to Come. Everything which we do in this world is but a preparation for the World to Come. We eat and drink, so that we are nourished and healthy enough to perform the mitzvos which will be our access to Olam Habba. Our entire lives revolve around Olam Habba, with life on this world nothing…

Home -> Shemos -> 5773

ויקח משה את אשתו ואת בניו... וישב ארצה מצרים... ויהי בדרך במלון ויפגשהו ד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Shemos

Moshe took his wife and his sons… and returned to the land of Egypt… it was on the way, in the lodging, that Hashem encountered him. (4:20,24)

Seven days elapsed while Hashem maintained His dialogue with Moshe Rabbeinu, attempting to convince him to go to Egypt to serve as the first leader of Klal Yisrael. Moshe demurred for various reasons; his unparalleled humility and consummate respect for his brother, Aharon HaKohen, were his primary reasons. Ultimately, Hashem said, “Either you lead them out, or they will remain forever slaves to Pharaoh.” Moshe relented and agreed to go. The Torah relates that Moshe fetched his wife and sons and set out for Egypt. Along the way, they stopped to rest at an inn. It was at this inn…

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ומשה היה רעה את צאן יתרו... וינהג את הצאן אחר המדבר... וירא מלאך ד' אליו בלבת אש מתוך הסנה... והסנה איננו אוכל... וירא ד' כי סר לראות. ויקרא אליו אלקים... ויאמר אל תקרב הלום של נעליך מעל רגליך כי המקום אשר אתה עומד עליו אדמת קודש הוא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Shemos

Moshe was shepherding the sheep of Yisro… he guided the sheep far into the wilderness… an angel of Hashem appeared to him in a blaze of fire from amid the bush… but the bush was not consumed… Hashem saw that he turned aside to see. And G-d called to him… He said, “Do not come closer to here, remove your shoes from your feet, for the place upon which you stand is holy ground.” (3:1-5)

Hashem appeared to Moshe Rabbeinu in the wilderness, from amidst a burning bush. It was at this point that the Almighty appointed him to be Klal Yisrael’s leader. Moshe resisted until Hashem ultimately “convinced” him to accept. The place where the encounter with the bush took place was Har Sinai, which would later become known as Har Hashem, the Mountain of G-d. Moshe was overwhelmed with the vision of a bush that continued to burn without being consumed by the fire. The scene was an allegory to Klal Yisrael, with the burning bush representing the Jews in the Egyptian exile….

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ויואל משה לשבת את האיש ויתן את צפורה בתו למשה. ותלד בן ויקרא את שמו גרשום

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Shemos

Moshe desired to dwell with the man; and he gave his daughter Tziporah to Moshe. She gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom. (2:21,22)

In the Talmud Nedarim 65a, Chazal teach that Yisro made Moshe Rabbeinu swear to him that he would never leave without permission. The Yalkut has a different perspective on Yisro’s requirements for Moshe to fulfill before he would agree to give him his daughter in marriage. Moshe asked for Tziporah. Yisro agreed, on the condition that Moshe promise to carry out the one request that Yisro had of him. Moshe agreed. Yisro presented what is considered to be atypical of him. On the other hand, it is also frightening that Moshe would accede to the request. He said, “The first…

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וילך איש מבית לוי ויקח את בת לוי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5773, Shemos

A man went from the House of Levi and took a daughter of Levi. (2:1)

The Torah presents the lineage of Moshe Rabbeinu in a very clandestine manner, almost as if it is attempting to hide the names of his parents. It is only later, in Parashas Vaeira, that we are finally introduced to his parents. Clearly, the Torah must have a reason for concealing their identities. Horav Moshe Feinstein, zl, explains this, providing us with a practical application for parents. Nachas, satisfaction, is something we all seek from our children. Because parents are naturally biased, we take pride in our children’s achievements, especially when they demonstrate talent and outstanding character traits. Undoubtedly, Amram and…

Home -> 5773 -> Shemini

ויאמר משה אל אהרן הוא אשר דבר ד' לאמר בקרובי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד וידם אהרן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5773

Moshe said to Aharon: Of this did Hashem speak, saying, “I will be sanctified through those who are close to Me, and I will be honored before the entire people;” and Aharon fell silent. (10:3)

The last two words of the above pasuk, Va’yidom Aharon, “And Aharon fell silent,” are, to me, among the most frightening – yet awe-inspiring – words in the Torah. The ability to transcend emotion, to experience tragedy on what should have been the happiest and most spiritually-elevating day of Aharon’s life, is truly inspirational. Aharon HaKohen had worked his entire life to achieve this moment, to be crowned as the Kohen Gadol, High Priest. His response to the mind-numbing tragedy was the true indication of his worthiness of this exalted position. How are we to come to terms with Aharon’s…

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וביום השמיני ימול בשר ערלתו

On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (12:3)

ועשיתם לו כאשר זמם לעשות לאחיו

And you shall do to him as he planned to do to his brother. (19:19)

על פי התורה אשר יורוך... תעשה לא תסור מן הדבר אשר יגידו לך ימין ושמאל

According to the teaching that they will teach you… shall you do; you shall not deviate from the word that they will tell you, right or left. (17:11)

כי ימצא בקרבך... אשר יעשה את הרע... וילך ויעבד אלהים אחרים...והוגד לך ושמעת ודרשת היטב והנה אמת הדבר נעשתה התועבה הזאת בישראל

If this will be found among you… who commits evil… and he will go and serve gods of others… and it will be told to you and you will hear; then you will investigate well, and behold! It is true, the testimony is correct – this abomination was done in Yisrael. (17:2,4)

ולא תקים לך מצבה

And you shall not erect for yourselves a pillar. (16:22)

ויקח משה את אשתו ואת בניו... וישב ארצה מצרים... ויהי בדרך במלון ויפגשהו ד'

Moshe took his wife and his sons… and returned to the land of Egypt… it was on the way, in the lodging, that Hashem encountered him. (4:20,24)

ויואל משה לשבת את האיש ויתן את צפורה בתו למשה. ותלד בן ויקרא את שמו גרשום

Moshe desired to dwell with the man; and he gave his daughter Tziporah to Moshe. She gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom. (2:21,22)

וילך איש מבית לוי ויקח את בת לוי

A man went from the House of Levi and took a daughter of Levi. (2:1)

ויאמר משה אל אהרן הוא אשר דבר ד' לאמר בקרובי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד וידם אהרן

Moshe said to Aharon: Of this did Hashem speak, saying, “I will be sanctified through those who are close to Me, and I will be honored before the entire people;” and Aharon fell silent. (10:3)

YEARS

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